World of Tanks Blitz is a fast-paced, free-to-play MMO action game centered around WWII tanks. WoTB is both deeply complex and highly dynamic, and while it takes just a few minutes to learn, it requires a lifetime to master.

The following comprehensive guide is meant to expedite the learning curve for new tankers, giving them a greater handle on the in-game features while also providing some of the more common techniques and tactics. You can simply scroll through the guide, search for relevant terms or use the index to jump to specific sections.

The garage is your home base where you can upgrade your tanks, check your statistics, make in-game purchases, chat with other tankers and more. Below is a breakdown of the available functions that can be accessed or viewed through the garage.

1. Menu – From the dropdown menu, you can see recent news, select a platoon mate, check your service record and more.

2. Player name and premium time – The player name displayed correlates to the War Gaming ID used to login. Premium time provides a boost to experience and credits earned per battle.

3. Gold – Gold can be purchased or won through various competitions and can be used to purchase in-game items such as premium time, premium tanks and HEAT/APCR ammo.

4. Credits – Credits are earned through battles and can be used to purchase various in-game items, such as equipment, HEAT/APCR ammo and more.

5. Free Experience – Five percent of the experience earned per battle will be stored in the free experience account and can be used towards any tank or module. Gold can be used to convert normal experience into free experience.

6 Shopping cart – The shopping cart links to bundles and kits, which can be purchased with money.

13. Ammunition – Each tank can fire a variety of different shell types, including High Explosive (HE), Armor piercing (AP), High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT), and Armor Piercing Composite Rigid (APCR). HEAT rounds and some APCR rounds can be purchased with credits or gold.

14. Equipment – Various items than can be purchased with credits to permanently increase a tank’s effectiveness in battle.

15. Chat – Here you can send messages to tankers in your friends list, search for tankers, and join general chat.

16. Filter – The filter allows you to select which tanks will be displayed in your garage.

17. Tech Tree – Tanks are categorized by their country of origin and move from left to right in ascending historical order. In order to unlock the subsequent tank, you must first accrue enough experience in the preceding tank.

Battle Screen:

The battle screen is the in-game hub where all pertinent battlefield information is located. From here you can pilot your tank and utilize the mini-map to locate friends and foe, all while annihilating your enemy.

1. TeamPanel – Shows which tanks and users are on your team. The icons that look like shields on the far left indicate players that are platooned.

2. Vehicle Symbols – These symbols denote which vehicles remain on the battlefield and serve as a shortcut to opening the team panel. Click here for more info.

3. Timer – Shows how much time remains until the match ends.

4. Enemy Team Panel – Shows which tanks and players are on the enemy team.

5. Auto-Aim Selector – Quickly toggles auto-aim on and off.

6. Fire – There can be up to two fire buttons on the screen.

7. Light Bulb – Indicates you have been spotted by an enemy.

8. Aiming Reticule – The aiming reticule decreases in size when stationary, but blooms when the tank is in motion or after firing a shell.

17. Slide Lock – Allows you to look in any direction without moving your turret.

18. Frames Per Second/Quick Chat – Shows how many frames per second the game is displaying at, and also gives access to a list of preprogrammed chat commands.

Choosing a Tank:

WoTB currently offers four classes of tanks: lights, mediums/meds, heavies, and tank destroyers/TDs. Each class is designed with a specific purpose in mind and excels when used within its role. After you’ve played a few battles and have a feel for the controls and your play style, it’s time to decide which tank line you want to grind.

Light Tanks:

Light tanks, or lights, are designed to scout and detect the enemy. Lights possess little in the way of armor, but are exceptionally mobile and can quickly maneuver around the battlefield.

Medium Tanks:

Medium tanks, or meds, are designed to fulfill various roles and are the venerable jack-of-all-trades. Meds vary in their armor, speed and firepower and individual tanks can be quite different from one another. Meds can be used to scout, support and sometimes even attack from the front line.

Heavy Tanks:

Heavy tanks, or heavies, are designed to overwhelm the enemy by using brute strength. Heavies have relatively powerful guns and are laden with thick armor that can take a beating. These tanks are best used on the front line.

Tank Destroyers:

Tank Destroyers, or TDs, are designed to eliminate the threat from a distance. TDs have moderate mobility and are equipped with extremely powerful guns, but generally lack heavy armor. Concealment is the TDs best ally.

Techniques and Tactics:

Utilizing proper techniques and tactics makes it easier to lay waste to your enemies. Implementing the information below will greatly enhance your survivability, as well as the potential max damage you can deal to the opposition.

Sidescraping/Reverse Sidescraping:

Sidescraping increases the chance of bouncing incoming shells by using buildings, rocks or any other impenetrable object to present the side of your tank at an extreme angle in relation to your enemy.

Medium tanks are much nimbler than heavies and tank destroyers and can circle around them, staying ahead of their turrets and therefore avoiding being shot. If you’re in a medium and find yourself facing a heavy or tank destroyer, employ this tactic instead of simply trading shots.

Flanking:

Flanking puts your enemies in a crossfire and splits their attention between two groups. If a flanking opportunity presents itself, take it.

Using cover:

Cover is anything that can block an incoming shell. Buildings, rocks or any other solid object can act as cover. If possible, use cover instead of roaming through the open.

Using concealment:

Concealment raises the camo value of your tank, making your more difficult to spotted. Bushes act as great concealment, but you can also use the terrain to your advantage.

Peek-a-Boom:

When trading shots with an enemy tank, employ the peek-a-boom technique. Peek out from behind cover, take a shot, then retreat back to cover while you reload. This is far more effective than sitting in the open.

Ammunition:

Different ammunition types have different strengths, and knowing when to use them can mean the difference between life and death. AP rounds are best used for tanks of the same tier or below, while HEAT/APCR rounds can be useful for penetrating higher tier tanks. HE rounds have lower penetration but higher potential damage and can often set fire to tanks when fired into their rear. HE rounds also work well for tracking, or immobilizing, tanks.

Some tanks have extremely tough turrets and excel in hull down positions. When going hull down, find a position that hides your hull from the enemy.

Situational Awareness:

Utilize the mini map to ensure you know exactly who is around you. Having situational awareness can mean the difference between having an enemy sneaking up behind you and being prepared to dispatch it.

Know Your Tank:

Play to your tank’s strengths, not its weaknesses:

Each class has its own strengths and weaknesses. If you’re driving a med, utilize speed instead of trying to brawl. Whereas if you’re driving a heavy, utilize brawn instead of speed. While in a TD, stay back and snipe instead of acting as the main aggressor. Know what your tank is made you’ll find yourself dealing higher damage and staying alive longer.

Tank Terminology:

The WoTB community throws around a lot of tank terms which, unless you've previously been indoctrinated into the culture, you may find a bit confusing. The following is a breakdown of basic tank terminology.

► UFG/Upper Frontal Glacis - The upper armor on the front of the tank. Typically very difficult to penetrate.

► LFG/Lower Frontal - The lower armor on the front of the tank. Typically easy to penetrate.

► Beak - The point where the UFG and LFG meet. Typically very difficult to penetrate.

► TR/Turret Ring - The ring on which the turret rotates. Typically a weak spot.

► FT/Frontal Turret - The front of the turret. Typically very difficult to penetrate.

► ST/Side Turret - The side of the turret. Typically easy to penetrate.

► RT/Rear Turret - The back of the turret. Typically easy to penetrate.

► USH/Upper Side Hull - The armor on the upper portion of the tank's side. Can be easy to penetrate but difficult to deal damage, especially in the IS series, which has spaced USH armor.

► LSH/Lower Side Hull - The armor on the lower portion of the tank's side. Typically easy to penetrate.

► RHA/Rear Hull Armor - The armor on the back of the hull. Typically easy to penetrate.

► Cupola/Commander's Hatch - The bulbous area (typically) located on the top of the tank. Typically easy to penetrate.

► Drive Wheel - The sprockets located on the very front and/or rear of the tracks. Typically easy to penetrate and also a good way to track, or immobilize, vehicles.

► Tracks - The portion of tread that provides traction and movement. Typically easy to penetrate, but rarely yields damage. Can also be used to track, or immobilize vehicles.

► Ammo Rack - Ammo racks hold the ammunition and are located in different areas depending on the tank. This is a weak spot and if the ammo rack is detonated, the tank can be killed in one shot.

► Spaced Armor - A type of layered armor consisting of two or more separated plates which reduces the chance of full penetration.

► Pike Nose Armor - A type of frontal hull armor that comes to a point and excels at bouncing shots.

Learn weak spots:

Once you understand the tank terminology, it's time to learn different weak spots. Every tank has multiple weak spots and even the tough to crack ones can be penetrated if you know where to aim. Learn the weak spots instead of just spraying and praying.

► What is the best tier ten tank? - Simply put, there is no best tier ten tank. Each tier ten excels in various areas and its success is largely dependent on the skill of the driver.

► How many games does it take to get to a tier 10? - With premium time, it takes approximately 1100-1300 battles to reach tier ten.

► ​How can I fix my lag? - Occasional lag spikes and FPS drops are going to be a given, regardless of the game. However, if you experience perpetual lag, try rebooting your game, device and router. If that doesn't work, send a ticket in to WG.

► When will Clan Wars start? - WG has announced that Clan Wars will be implemented in a future update, but have not specified exactly when.

► Will artillery be introduced? - WG has definitively said that artillery will not be in WoTB.

► How do I set up Team Speak? - A guide for setting up Team Speak can be found here.

► Why is my low tier tank being matched with higher tier tanks? - Each tank is placed into a battle tier, which determines what tiers they can see in battle. For instance, any tier eight can see tier 10's in battle, while tier fives cannot. A more in-depth explanation of battle tiers can be found here.

Gameplay:

► How do I show my team which target I'm shooting at? - While pointing your turret at your target, tap on the bottom-right-hand corner of the screen. From the quick chat menu, select what usually is the "attack" icon.

► Why didn't my shot do any damage? - There are several reasons why your shot may have done no damage. Bounced shots and ricochets will do no damage, as well as some penetrations into the tracks. Occasionally, a shell will pass straight through the entire tank and miss all vital components. This will yield no damage and is part of the in-game dynamics. For more information on zero damage hits click here.

► Why did my shot disappear? - Ghost shells, or shells that disappear once they exit the barrel, are typically a result of lag. The shell is still in play, but does not occur on the screen. For more information on ghost shells click here.

► How do I look around without turning my turret? - The default game controls feature a slide lock function on the bottom-right-hand corner of the screen. Scrolling with the slide lock will allow you to view the battlefield while keeping your tank stationary.

► How was I just shot through a wall? - Shell tracers can be deceiving, and if it appears you have been shot through a wall, it's almost certainly a function of lag. For more information on tracers click here.

► How did I get shot by someone who I couldn't see? - In regards to a one vs. one scenario... View range is the maximum distance any given tank can see. Equipment can increase view range, while terrain and bushes can increase camo value, making a tank more difficult to spot. On the other hand, movement and firing lowers camo value. So if the enemy tank is stationary and lying in wait and you are firing and on the move, you will be spotted while they are not. For more information on view range and camouflage click here.

► Why do tanks disappear right in front of me? - The ability to see an enemy tank is contingent upon a variety of factors. If the enemy tank ducks behind a bush or is obscured from your line of sight by a building or terrain, they are no longer be visible. This is not a glitch, but rather a part of the game. For more information on view range and camouflage click here.

► What equipment should I use? - Optimal equipment use varies based on a tanker's play style. For more information on equipment load outs click here.

► What consumables should I use? - Optimal consumables load outs varies based on a tanker's play style. For more information on consumables load outs click here.

Very good guide. First guide that I'm actually interested. Also, the flanking tactic is so brilliant in Middleburg especially in the town. Because I had my M48 Patton and M46 Patton flank the side and no tank came there. So we went behind the enemy and we pretty much won due to the enemy getting shot at in the back and front.

Very good guide. First guide that I'm actually interested. Also, the flanking tactic is so brilliant in Middleburg especially in the town. Because I had my M48 Patton and M46 Patton flank the side and no tank came there. So we went behind the enemy and we pretty much won due to the enemy getting shot at in the back and front.

Right on, RaptorJet. Thanks! And you're right about Middleburg. If I'm in a med (and sometimes E5) I'll always flank on MIddleburg. Sometimes just a short flank, but a flank nonetheless.